Jaylen Hoard (born March 30, 1999) is a French-American professional basketball player for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Premier League. He played college basketball for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Born in Le Havre, France, he began his career at INSEP in Paris, competing with the amateur club Centre Fédéral de Basket-ball of the Nationale Masculine 1 (NM1). He became among of the most sought-after prospects of the class of 2018, and a consensus five-star recruit, after moving to Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, North Carolina.

Quick Facts No. 14 – Hapoel Tel Aviv, Position ...

Jaylen Hoard

No. 14 – Hapoel Tel Aviv
Position	Power forward
League	Israeli Premier League
Personal information
Born	(1999-03-30) March 30, 1999 (age 25) Le Havre, France
Nationality	French / American
Listed height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight	216 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school	Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point, North Carolina)
College	Wake Forest (2018–2019)
NBA draft	2019: undrafted
Playing career	2019–present
Career history
2019–2020	Portland Trail Blazers
2019–2020	→Texas Legends
2021	Oklahoma City Blue
2021	Oklahoma City Thunder
2021–2022	Oklahoma City Blue
2022	Oklahoma City Thunder
2022–present	Hapoel Tel Aviv
Career highlights and awards
Jordan Brand Classic International MVP (2018) Jordan Brand Classic (2018) Nike Hoop Summit (2018)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

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Hoard was born in Le Havre, France to an American father and French mother, both with basketball experience.^[1] His father Antwon Hoard played for Murray State in college and spent multiple seasons in France in the LNB Pro A.^[2] His mother Katia Foucade played for the University of Washington and was a member of the French national team.^[1] Hoard's younger sister Anaia, one of four siblings, has played with the French national under-17 team.^[1][3]

In 2015, Hoard signed a two-year contract with the French athlete institute INSEP in Paris, joining affiliated club Centre Fédéral de Basket-ball (CFBB).^[4][5][6] With CFBB, Hoard competed in the Nationale Masculine 1, the third-tier division in France, for the 2015–16 season.^[7] In April 2015, he was named most valuable player (MVP) of the Jordan Brand Classic International Game, recording 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 steals.^[5] On April 16, 2016, Hoard recorded a season-high 23 points, shooting 9-of-15 from the field, in a win over Caen Basket Calvados.^[8] He finished the NM1 season averaging 8.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.^[7]

In the summer of 2016, Hoard arrived in the United States to begin playing basketball for Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, North Carolina.^[9] He was encouraged to join the program because his father had become friends with its head coach Keith Gatlin during his playing career.^[2] After making the move, Hoard said, "I just felt like it was time to come over here and compete against the best. A lot of people know me for basketball in France, but I want to make it over here. This is where all the talent is so I want to prove myself."^[2] Entering the season, Wesleyan was ranked among the top-10 in the nation by MaxPreps, and in the top-20 by USA Today High School Sports.^[10][11] In the beginning of the season, he spent time adjusting to the American style of basketball.^[12]

Hoard was rated as a five-star recruit and considered one of the best players of the 2018 class. He was ranked 22nd in the class of 2018 by ESPN.^[13]

On August 26, 2017, Hoard committed to attend and play for Wake Forest University.^[14][15] Before the start of the 2018-19 season, Hoard was named to the Julius Erving Award preseason watchlist.^[16] On November 10, 2018, Hoard scored 19 points and 13 rebounds in a 90-78 win against North Carolina A&T.^[17] On November 18, 2018, the Demon Deacons would defeat Valparaiso 69-63 behind Hoard's 14 points and 9 rebounds. On January 2, 2019, he scored 23 points and 15 rebounds in an 83-61 victory over Cornell.^[18] On January 15, 2019, Hoard scored 16 points and 10 rebounds in a 71-67 victory over NC State.^[19] On February 5, 2019, Hoard tallied 19 points and a career high 17 rebounds in a win over Pittsburgh.^[20] As a freshman at Wake Forest, Hoard averaged 13.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assist per game.

Hoard made his debut with the French youth national team at the 2015 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship in Kaunas, Lithuania.^[21] In his first game at the event, he recorded 16 points and 6 rebounds to help defeat Croatia.^[22] At the tournament, he averaged 7.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game, leading France to a fifth-place finish.^[7]

In April 2016, Hoard represented France at the Albert Schweitzer Tournament, playing six games and averaging 7.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game, en route to fourth place.^[7] He was considered one of the top prospects from the event, although basketball website NBAdraft.net said that he "underachieved."^[23] However, Hoard drew attention later in the year, at the 2016 FIBA Under-17 World Championship, held in Zaragoza, Spain. He averaged a team-high 22.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, as France finished in sixth place.^[7] On June 23, 2016, in his opening game, Hoard erupted for 41 points against South Korea, shooting 15-of-28 from the field.^[1] The performance tied the tournament's single-game scoring record set by Isaac Humphries in 2014.^[1][24]